Alnwick Set For Spell On Sidelines

Posh boss Darren Ferguson has confirmed that Ben Alnwick will spend between four to eight weeks on the sidelines.

Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson has confirmed that Ben Alnwick will be out of action for up to two months after picking up a thigh injury.

The Posh boss moved quickly to secure a short term replacement with Rotherham United custodian Scott Loach agreeing an initial one month loan deal at the ABAX Stadium.

Ferguson said: 'Ben has had a problem with a thigh and he has had it for a little bit to be honest, I think you could see that in his kicking and, but he was able to get through the games. He has a great attitude and he has managed to get through the Christmas period.

'We then had a little break and he felt fine before the Colchester game, but it went again, we have had it scanned and he will be out for four-to-eight weeks so we moved quickly to bring in Scott Loach from Rotherham.

'Scott is a good goalkeeper, he has had a decent career, it has stalled a bit lately, but he wants to kick on and he has come here to play games and that is what he will get with us. He knows this league and we moved quickly to get him in when we knew that Ben would be out,' Ferguson said.

Ferguson also paid tribute to midfielder Grant McCann who completed his move to Linfield this week. 'Grant had an opportunity to play week in week out and he has taken it. We have had many conversations, when he signed his contract, we both felt his second year would be more on the coaching side of things.

'Grant still feels he can continue playing and this move suits him. It is his boyhood club and I know he is excited about it. His role here was perfectly understood from day one and I respect his quest to play regular football. He has had a great career with Peterborough United and I wish him all the best.

'When you look back at his time here, he has played a major part in our success. I changed his role when I returned to the club, he had a great influence and was fantastic for the club. He was a key performer in our play-off success and performed very well in the Championship. He was a fans favourite and you can certainly understand why. We wish him the very best at Linfield,' Ferguson said.

The Posh boss also confirmed that Jon Taylor has suffered a relapse in his recovery and is expected to be out for a further two-four weeks.